The Sunday Digest 100
An update (and thank you).
Welcome to The Sunday Digest — a free Sunday newsletter featuring long (and some short) reads, original columns, things I’ve saved over the last week, relaxing playlists, episodes releases, exclusive product drops, and more. Yes, you can reply to this email. I’d love to hear from you. Or, if podcasts are more your speed on Sundays, we’ve got that too.
When I got my first full-time writing job, someone said to me, “Wow, that normally takes people years to achieve.” While this was somewhat of a backhanded compliment, it was also the realization that I needed in order to make sure I did the absolute best with the opportunity given to me. This was ten years ago, and never did I imagine myself still working in that same space today.
In truth, I started The Sunday Digest on a whim without any real plan. I wasn’t writing full-time anymore, and I wanted that written and visual creative outlet that has traditionally made me tick. I also just wanted to feel out Substack as I could tell it was something people were gravitating toward. Now that we’re one hundred editions deep into the series, it feels like a good time to reflect.
These weekly newsletters aren’t meant to be your traditional “long read.” They’re meant to be light, fleeting, and enjoyable — and I think I’ve achieved that. That being said, I do want to do more.
I’ve had a number in my head — 20,000. At this very moment, this newsletter has 19,357 subscribers. We’re close and I anticipate hitting 20,000 before the end of the year if things grow at the same rate as they have been. But once that benchmark gets reached, my plan is simple: set aside time to write more.
“What’s the state of The Sunday Digest?” you may ask. This newsletter has been free for over two years now. And when it comes to The Sunday Digest and Sunday Confessions, my goal will be to always keep them free. However, when I begin writing more regularly, the newsletter will have to have a paid element to it in order to justify the hard work that it takes to maintain such an entity. Everything else that gets written outside of the Digest and Confessions? It will likely go out to paid subscribers only, so this is your fair warning.
Overall, this newsletter is one of my absolute favorite professional responsibilities. Just the other day while doing a Sunday Scaries “Ask Me Anything” on Instagram, someone asked what my favorite day of the work week is. My answer is Friday, but not because I’m mailing it in and getting ready to leave for the weekend — it’s the one day I actually get to sit down and fully-dedicate my brain to the written form of what I get to do. I love it. I love it so much that it makes me miss having the time to write every morning which is why I’ve made some changes in my personal life in an effort to free up those mornings again.
On a large scale, things are very much going in the right direction. I truly appreciate anyone who subscribes to the emails, opens the emails, and interacts with the emails. Being consistent enough to do a hundred of anything like this takes a lot of effort but a lot of what has gone into this newsletter has felt effortless. Thank you for that.
Here’s to a hundred more and a hundred after that. Your support has meant the world to me and I don’t want that to go unsaid.
— Will
The Sunday Haiku: Why didn’t I do this Friday?
Waking up early,
to finish the newsletter.
Do we have coffee?
New Episode › Retail Therapy 089: Fall 2024 In/Out Lists
What's in this fall? What's out this fall? What things can we arbitrarily talk about that could possibly ruffle the feathers of Retail Therapy listeners? From restaurants to fashion to #vibes, we go through each of our official "In" and "Out" lists as we head toward the holidays.
Listen to Retail Therapy on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube (see above), and anywhere else podcasts are found. And a reminder to follow Retail Therapy on Substack!
Things I Saved This Week
Supplemental Reading
We were busy over on Retail Therapy this week with our fall fashion episode. We also did some catch-up on some previous listener digests, which you can read here.
I very much enjoyed this piece my sister did on horse uniforms.
Vibes are high around the house because Sally Rooney’s new novel comes out on Tuesday. Despite the panic attack it will give me upon finishing it, I did enjoy her recent New York Times interview.
“How can I support Sunday Scaries?”
Listen to our Retail Therapy.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Subscribe to all Washed Media Podcasts.
Or, you can simply subscribe here:
The subject title made me nervous that this was a goodbye letter but I was pleased to read the opposite - an acknowledgement of how far Sunday Scaries has come. I look forward to the weekend SS like it’s the morning paper!
Reading this while drinking a coffee and looking at the lake. Cheers will!